Brillouin microscopy in biomedical research: past, present and future

Speaker: Vladislav Yakovlev

Venue: Lecture Room, Floor 1,Chow Yei Ching Building, Yuquan Campus

Abstract: Brillouin scattering is an inelastic light scattering on acoustic phonons in the medium and is uniquely positioned to assess local viscoelastic properties of materials by analyzing the frequency shift and the linewidth of a Brillouin peak. The advances of optical instrumentation have led to a transformative progress in Brillouin microscopy triggering it renaissance and facilitating numerous applications in biology and medicine. Brillouin microscopy uniquely positions itself with respect to other optical methods to explore mechanical properties of tissues by offering higher resolution imaging and 3D imaging capabilities. In the most recent Consensus Statement, we outlined the state-of-the-art of instrumentation and provided the major advantages and guidelines for using Brillouin microscopy for biological imaging. In this presentation, I will summarize the status quo of the field, highlight some of the most recent advantages, such as quantum-enhanced Brillouin microscopy imaging, and outline the possible directions towards higher speed and deeper tissue imaging, while discussing potential emerging applications to neuronal and metabolic imaging.